# Robert Spittal

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robert_Spittal
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robert_Spittal.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Spittal
> Source revision: 1347822564
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Scottish physician and amateur botanist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Robert Spittal''' MD [FRSE](/source/FRSE) (1804–1852) was a 19th-century Scottish medical doctor and amateur [botanist](/source/Botany).

==Life==
thumb|1 and 3 London Street, Edinburgh
Spittal was born 9 January 1804 to Marion Brown and [Sir James Spittal](/source/James_Spittal). The family moved to 59 South Bridge in [Edinburgh's Old Town](/source/Old_Town%2C_Edinburgh) in 1810.<ref>Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1810</ref>

He studied medicine at the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh) and became an [assistant physician](/source/Assistant_Physician) at the [Edinburgh Royal Infirmary](/source/Edinburgh_Royal_Infirmary). In 1829 he was President of the [Edinburgh Plinian Natural History Society](/source/Edinburgh_Plinian_Natural_History_Society) and President of the [Royal Medical Society](/source/Royal_Medical_Society) in 1833.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|access-date=14 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He undertook further postgraduate studies in Germany and received his doctorate (MD) from the [University of Giessen](/source/University_of_Giessen) in 1838. On his return he began lecturing in Medical Acoustics at the University of Edinburgh and from 1839 also lectured at [Edinburgh's Extra Mural School.](/source/Extramural_medical_education_in_Edinburgh) He was elected a Fellow of the [Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh](/source/Royal_College_of_Physicians_of_Edinburgh). Spittal was appointed Physician to the Queen in Scotland.<ref name=":0" />

He carried out research on the origins of breath sounds and how these should be interpreted by [auscultation](/source/auscultation).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Spittal|first=Robert|title=Experiments and Observations on the Cause of the Sounds of Respiration |date=1838|journal=The Lancet|language=en|volume=30|issue=784|pages=844–845|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(02)96145-3|pmid=30330298 |pmc=5775728 }}</ref>

In 1840 he was living at a flat at 7 Nelson Street.<ref>Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1840</ref>

In 1841 he was elected a Fellow of the [Royal Society of Edinburgh](/source/Royal_Society_of_Edinburgh). His proposer was [Sir Robert Christison](/source/Robert_Christison).<ref name=":0" />

He died at home 3 London Street<ref>Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1852</ref> in [Edinburgh's Second New Town](/source/New_Town%2C_Edinburgh) on 7 April 1852. He is buried next to his parents in [Greyfriars Kirkyard](/source/Greyfriars_Kirkyard).

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spittal, Robert}}
Category:1852 deaths
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Academics of the University of Edinburgh
Category:19th-century Scottish medical doctors
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

{{Scotland-med-bio-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robert Spittal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Spittal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Spittal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.